Shloka 5

Āśrama-dharma and Brahmacarya: Śuka’s Inquiry on Karma and Tyāga (शुक-प्रश्नः कर्मत्यागविवेकश्च)

Devanagari script

प्रजासर्गेण दारैश्न ब्रह्मचर्येण वा पुन: । वने गुरुसकाशे वा यतिधर्मेण वा पुन:,उसकी इच्छा हो तो स्त्री-परिग्रह करके गृहस्थ-धर्मका पालन करते हुए संतान उत्पन्न करे अथवा आजीवन ब्रह्मचर्यव्रतका पालन करे या वनमें रहकर वानप्रस्थ-धर्मका आचरण करे अथवा गुरुके समीप रहे या संन्यास-धर्मके अनुसार जीवन व्यतीत करे

Transliteration

vyāsa uvāca | prajāsargeṇa dāraiś ca brahmacaryeṇa vā punaḥ | vane gurusakāśe vā yatidharmeṇa vā punaḥ ||

Translation

وہ چاہے تو بیوی اختیار کر کے گِرہستھ دھرم نبھاتے ہوئے اولاد پیدا کرے؛ یا پھر عمر بھر برہمچریہ کا ورت رکھے؛ یا جنگل میں رہ کر وانپرستھ دھرم پر چلے؛ یا گرو کے پاس رہے؛ یا یتی دھرم کے مطابق سنیاسی زندگی بسر کرے۔

Word by Word

प्रजासर्गेणby procreation/creation of offspring

दारैःby/with wives (marriage)

नor/and (here as a connective in some recensions); also can mean 'not' contextually

ब्रह्मचर्येणby celibacy (brahmacarya)

वाor

पुनःagain/further

वनेin the forest

गुरु-सकाशेin the presence of the teacher

वाor

यति-धर्मेणby the ascetic's discipline (renunciant dharma)

वाor

पुनःagain/further

Speaker

व्यास उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vyāsa

guru (teacher)

vana (forest)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse affirms that dharma can be pursued through multiple sanctioned life-paths—householder life with progeny, lifelong celibacy, forest-dwelling discipline, service near a guru, or renunciant practice—emphasizing that ethical living depends on disciplined conduct rather than a single uniform lifestyle.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Shanti Parva’s instructional setting, Vyāsa is presenting a normative teaching on permissible modes of life and spiritual discipline, outlining alternative commitments a person may adopt according to aptitude and intention.